Tough Love
by The Goliath Beetle
Summary: India and America: the two largest democracies in the world. So why are things so complicated? - a 50 sentence challenge -


**A/N: 50 sentence challenge between India and America because I am on a mission to write more India fics, come hell or high water! *cheering in the background* YES, THAT IS THE SOUND OF A BILLION COUNTRYMEN SUPPORTING ME! AAAAAAAH!**

 **Okay, seriously though.**

 **Historical notes are at the bottom. One thing you gotta know is that the Indo-US relationship has been very up-and-down, it's only just been improving in recent decades. And also 26/11 - look it up if you don't know.**

* * *

 **Motion**

After 1945, things are happening really quickly; America says, "Of course you have to give up India, Britain, you signed the Atlantic fucking Charter."

 **Cool**

India is the shiny new thing: his independence as big a deal as the American Revolution was two hundred years ago.

 **Young**

Arguably the oldest civilised place on earth, India still feels young: as young as America looks.

 **Last**

Nehru isn't impressed by the Cold War, America isn't impressed with Nehru: the camaraderie is over.

 **Wrong**

"I was wrong about that democracy," America growls one night to England, "India's a fucking socialist, cosying up to China and Russia!"

 **Gentle**

India was born on Gandhian principles he throws to hell when he rushes to war with Pakistan; he's acutely aware America isn't on his side.

 **One**

Two giant democracies, two different sides of the planet, and not a single thing they agree on.

 **Thousand**

War debts rise as China attacks in 1962: all India sees are zeroes.

 **King**

"Oh god, help," India says as he drops his head in shame; towering over him, America just frowns and nods.

 **Learn**

India is so, so new to being a nation state, and the Cold War is perhaps the most dangerous time to be learning the job.

 **Blur**

The Non Aligned Movement: not because India can't choose a side, but because ideologies blur together and India could use aid from both superpowers.

 **Wait**

It's a waiting game to see which of his hostile neighbours will attack next, and which superpower will rush to his aid.

 **Change**

The lady with the black and white hair has come to power, and she's turning everything upside down.

 **Command**

"What the actual _fuck_?" America cries when he hears that India and Pakistan are fighting again, and the woman with the black and white hair has carved an entirely new country called Bangladesh.

 **Hold**

The world's largest democracy falls to the whims of a madwoman dictator, and America holds firm and pretends his heart isn't breaking even slightly.

 **Need**

"What?" America drawls when India calls again, "need more food aid?"

 **Vision**

India used to have such brilliant dreams for himself; now he can't even speak without censorship.

 **Attention**

Meanwhile the Americans divert their attention to hack away at USSR and build bonds with China: India drums his fingers against the table nervously.

 **Soul**

So many American 'hippies' come here to find themselves; how can you find anything in a country of five hundred million people?

 **Picture**

The madwoman is shot dead, a pogrom breaks out, it's Hindus against Sikhs and India knows he's a picture perfect mess at the next world meeting.

 **Fool**

"Open your markets!" America demands, "allow some foreign trade!" but the last time India did that, the British stayed for 200 years.

 **Mad**

America starts wars like it's a talent; what else could be expected of a capitalist superpower, right?

 **Child**

Like a child running headfirst onto the road, India says, "fine," and in 1991, opens his markets to the world.

 **Now**

America takes his first sip of authentic chai, sits next to India and says, "I think things will be okay now."

 **Shadow**

A British slave and then an American dependant; when the hell will he get out of their shadows and become the glorious place he once was?

 **Goodbye**

They actually hug at the airport when America has to leave; it's brief but it's friendly.

 **Hide**

India has nothing to hide from America: yeah, he made these nukes all by himself, no, he's not sorry.

 **Fortune**

Luckily the sanctions don't hurt his economy and by 2000, America is talking to him again.

 **Safe**

"This is an attack on _all_ of us, we'll get them, you'll see," India promises when he finds America having a panic attack in the bathroom.

 **Ghost**

India is not impressed with American horror movies; there are never any dance numbers.

 **Book**

"I love Indian literature," America says, engrossed in a copy of the Kama Sutra.

 **Eye**

America can feel India glaring at him from across the room because he's been sitting too close to Pakistan – it makes India uncomfortable.

 **Never**

"What do you _mean_ you don't get beef burgers at the McDonalds here?" America cries out in horror as India just shrugs.

 **Sing**

They both get so drunk at America's Christmas party, but their karaoke sounds amazing (by drunk-singing standards.)

 **Sudden**

America throws him a surprise birthday party on 15th August, and catches India's startled yelp on video.

 **Stop**

"What the actual hell is a _chai latte_?" India takes a sip and adds, "that's it, I'm starting a new cold war against you."

 **Time**

He's too old to even want to remember half the things he has lived through.

 **Wash**

American car washes: like a soapy theme park.

 **Torn**

Both of them are seriously diverse countries; it's beautiful until it gets bloody.

 **History**

"I'm not in the mood," India mutters as America goes on about glorious pasts; reminiscing makes India sad.

 **Power**

It's just incredible how a country so young and erratic can be so incredibly powerful: who could survive when America decided to destroy them?

 **Bother**

 _AMERICA TURN OFF THAT AWFUL BRITNEY SPEARS SONG I'M IN THE NEXT ROOM TRYING TO SLEEP STFU TTYL GOOD NIGHT_

 **God**

There are Muslim dargas in India run by Hindu priests, temples run by Christian vicars, Sikh gurudwaras who invite all peoples for community dining – it's not all rioting and hate; India knew he loved God(s) for a reason.

 **Wall – (Part I)**

When the Berlin wall fell, USSR did too – and suddenly, America was the only one India could look to for help.

 **Naked – (Part II)**

Only a few years later, India's markets open; America walks in with a capitalist grin and India can't help feeling dangerously exposed.

 **Drive**

America has never felt fear like he did when India drove him around Mumbai.

 **Harm**

26/11: three days of horror, and America's terrified that two nuclear neighbours may go to war.

 **Precious**

Someone's got to contain Pakistan – so America's bosses tell him to become better friends with India.

 **Hunger**

They're quite alike in many ways: they both snatched their freedom from the same power, they both rose with the same principles and they both want the same things, now more than ever.

 **Believe**

"Why did you let him into your country?" India asks when a trailer for Justin Beiber: Believe shows up on TV.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Boy, oh boy, the historical notes. Okay.**

 **The Atlantic Charter is a document signed by Roosevelt and Churchill in 1941, and there is a line in there that states that nations would be allowed to choose their own governments. Churchill, an imperialist at heart, said he only meant that for those countries occupied by the Nazis, and not** ** _colonies._** **America disagreed with that stance and believed that of course, decolonisation was going to be a thing that would happen.**

 **India's independence was received well until the Indian PM, Nehru, visited America. They disagreed on all sorts of things: Nehru didn't like the Cold War, he thought America was too racist and Nehru was a socialist at heart and didn't trust the capitalist system of economy – and I really can't blame him because the British (who he had spent his whole life fighting) came to India as traders first, before becoming colonisers.**

 **India and Pakistan have been enemies since almost the day they got independence. They've fought four wars till date, and have had several skirmishes. In the Cold War, because India was technically not aligned to either USA and USSR (the "Non Aligned Movement") and was also somewhat tilted to the Left, USA became really friendly with Pakistan to – among other things – contain Soviet expansion in South Asia, and to keep India in line.**

 **India has also fought a war with China – the disastrous 1962 war that ended in a humiliating defeat for India. USSR didn't want to get in between a "sibling and a friend" and stayed neutral. Ultimately, India had to rush for US aid. US had also given tonnes of food aid to India in the Cold War period.**

 **"** **The woman with black and white hair" is Indira Gandhi (no relation to Mahatma Gandhi). She was the first woman Prime Minister of the country, and a ruthless politician. Not only did she flawlessly defeat her rivals in the political game, she also helped create the nation we know today as Bangladesh – in the 1971 India-Pakistan war (which I will not get into because holy shit these notes are long already.) She later implemented "Emergency" – a period of quasi-dictatorship. In her tumultuous political career which saw her deposed of power and then re-elected, she was finally assassinated, an event that launched a virtual pogrom of Sikhs in the country (because her assassins were Sikhs – for reasons.) It was a very dark and unstable time for India.**

 **In 1991, due to serious economic issues, India finally opened her markets to international trade. Since then its economy has been growing at high percentages, to keep up with its rival China.**

 **If there's anything else you're confused about, ask me :D**


End file.
